MTV Review: ALA.NI Makes Herself At Home In London’s Manero’s

As Holly Golightly once said in Breakfast At Tiffany’s, “it’s useful being top banana in the shock department,” and ALA.NI is exactly the type of talent that catches even the most seasoned gig reviewer by surprise.

Taking up residency in tiny London bar Manero’s until April 7th, ALA.NI will play four shows over the four weeks, but Tuesday 17th March was her first. Feeling like we had been invited into her front room, there couldn’t have been more than 20 people present at the intimate gig, which took us on a journey through ALA.NI’s “f**ked up love life.”

With one of the clearest jazz voices we have ever heard, ALA.NI’s old school vibes make her easily comparable with Billie Holiday, yet there’s still a modernity to her tracks ‘Cherry Blossom’ and ‘Suddenly’ that make her unlike anyone else. Ever.

Sure, an element of Lana Del Rey creeps in, and like LDR did with ‘Once Upon A Dream’ you could definitely imagine ALA.NI providing utterly haunting vocals for a Disney soundtrack.

However, the juxtaposition of her voice and her persona only make the former backing singer all the more mysterious, her darkly romantic songs peppered with laughs and easy chat with the crowd.

A cover of ‘Your Song’ had ALA.NI using an iPhone as a prompt, as she didn’t know the words to the verses, also admitting that she was struggling with the technology as she doesn’t own an iPhone.

Dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, her androgynous style offsets her beautifully feminine voice, only adding to the enigma that is ALA.NI.

Serenading us further with her ‘Ol Fashioned Kiss’, taken from her Spring EP You & I, we were awestruck throughout. Go and see ALA.NI at Manero’s now, so you too can be that annoying person who says, ‘I saw her before everyone knew who she was.’ Because everyone is about to know who she is.

ALA.NI plays Manero's on Tuesday 24th March, Wednesday 1st April and Tuesday 7th April. For more information visit her website.

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